Improvement in apparatus for obtaining mercury from its ores



HENRY JOHNSON. 7 Improvement in Apparatus for Obtaining Mercury from its Ores. N No. 125,398, PatentedAprHQflflH.

HENRY JOHNSON, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,398, dated April 9, 1872.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J OIINSON, of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Decomposing and Condensin g Device for Producing Mercury; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the lettersof reference marked thereon.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved device by which I am enabled to reduce mercurial ores wit-h great facility, and produce pure mercury at one operation, and in larger quantities than has heretofore been done. This I effect by constructing a reducing-chamber between the ore-furnace and the icondensers, and by its peculiar construction, i hereinafter described, I am enabled to reduce all the mercurial soot which comes over in large quantities, and also the sulphate of mercury which is sometimes formed.

Referring to the accompanying drawing for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section.

A is a furnace of suitable construction for the roasting of cinnabar or other mercurial ore, having the feed-opening B and the pipe 0, by which the vapors and fumes are discharged. In the present mode of workin g mercurial ores this pipe discharges into condensers D 1), of which as many as are desired can be employed. E'is a draught-pipe or chimney for the escape of acid fumes.

The results by this method are very imperfeet for the following reasons: Cinnabar ore is a compound of two equivalents of sulphur and one of mercury. This, when heated in the furnace, only receives sufficient oxygen to combine with one part of sulphur, which reduces it from a bisulphide to a black sulphnret, which distils over into the receiver, and is known as mercurial soot. In some furnaces, the New Idria for instance, another compound is formed, namely the sulphate of mercury. This I conceive is owing to the nature of the ore and its imperfect reduction in the crowded furnaces.

I prefer to obviate all these ditticulties by the introduction of a decomposing device and condensing-tubes, as follows: F is a tube or chamber of iron or clay, so placed that the discharge-pipe 0 opens into it at one end, while at the other end the tube connects with the pipe G leading to the receiver. The tube or chamber lies in a furnace, H, by which it is heated as much as may be desired. A small pipe, I, leads into the tube F, and is bent so shown. This pipe brings a current of air from a bellows or other source of supply, and another branch, J, opens into the pipe G leading to the receiver. The tube or chamber F is kept at a low red heat by the furnace H, in which it lies, and, the furnace A being in opand are passed throughthe tube F. In this tube they are retained in an attenuated condi tion by the heat, and are mingled with the air forced in through the pipe I. This entirely decomposes the mercurial soot or black sulplllllkllj by giving it another equivalent of oXy gen from the air thus forced in, and pure mercarry and sulphurous acid are the result. The ,sulphate is also reduced to the same form. As these fumes pass on toward the receivers they meet another current of cold air from the pipe J, and this serves to cool or condense the products to a great extent before they enter the receiver D.

I do not wish to confine myself to any particular style of furnace, as my invention can be attached to any furnace or retort with equally good results.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

geth er with the air-tube I, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. In combination with the reducing-chamber F and air-tube I, I claim the cold-air tube J for condensing the fumes, substantially as described.

1n witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. STRONG, JOHN Smrrr.

as to point in the direction of receivers, as

eration, the mercurial compounds distill over I 1. The heating and reducing chamber F, to- 

